M81 is a beautiful spiral galaxy located in the constellation of Ursa Major at a distance of 12 million LY.  It is only
150,000 distant from it's neighbor M82.  These two galaxies are coming off a close encounter which has left
M82 badly deformed.  Both are members of the small group of galaxies known as the M81 Group.



April, 2007
WO ZS 105mm f/7 Apo Refractor - Baader IR Filter
Canon Digital Rebel 300D / Modified (Hap Griffin)
120 Minutes / 24x300s @ 800ASA
Manually guided on a 14" Meade LX200
Skyhawk Observatory, West Bend, WI
Rick Kazmierski